Fury as IRA report shelved

OUTRAGE: Attack on London’s Docklands, 1996

CAMPAIGNERS for victims of IRA terror attacks last night accused the Government of “treating them like rubbish” following a decision not to publish a report linked to their compensation fight.

In 2019William Shawcross was appointed special representative on UK victims of Gaddafi-sponsored IRA terrorism.

Part of his remit was to write a report detailing what levels of compensation should be given to victims of IRA bombs that used Semtex explosives supplied by Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi – £12billion worth of Libyan assets linked to Col Gaddafi are still frozen in the UK.

Although completed nine months ago, the report was shelved with conflicting explanations. Two people died and 100 were injured when the IRA detonated a bomb in London’s Docklands in 1996.

Jonathan Ganesh, president of the Docklands Victims Association, said last night: “We have been campaigning for 10 years and were hopeful when William Shawcross was appointed. First we are told the delay is due to Covid-19, then that its publication would affect British interests abroad. We were also told it contains private and confidential information.

“It makes no sense. Shawcross met us all, talked to us and he listened. Why do this if they had no intention of revealing what he said? How can they do this to us?”

Susanne Dodd, whose father, Met Police inspector Stephen, was killed in the 1983 Harrods attack, said: “We have been treated like rubbish by three Conservative prime ministers.they do not care about us.

“I’m very disappointed with Boris Johnson for withholding the Shawcross report and not helping us.”

Last night the Foreign Office said: “We are taking this work forward. Ministers are carefully considering the complex issues captured in Mr Shawcross’s internal report, giving due respect to the victims.”